Blog

Coppell MOSAIC offers “Chess-Novice” and “Chess-Advanced” this summer. “Chess-Novice” is taught by Dr. Alexey Root (author of Prepare With Chess Strategy). During each “Chess-Novice” course (June 4-8, 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; July 23-27 at 9:00 a.m.), up to 12 students in Grades 4-8 will learn or review the rules of chess, including castling, en passant, and pawn promotion. Students will also master basic checkmates, such as the two-rook checkmate. Students will read and write algebraic chess notation.

Alexey Root’s article about her father and her early experiences in chess was recognized as one of the top ten articles published by US Chess News in 2017. The article is important because Dr. Root addresses the issue of teacher-student (coach-athlete) abuse, by sharing her story of abuse by a Canadian chess coach.

Flower Mound Library visitors can challenge Dr. Root to chess games at this free event. She will play chess with 10 players simultaneously and anyone who can win against her gets a free copy of Prepare With Chess Strategy. Players will be seated first-come, first-served as other players finish their games. The Chess Challenge is open to all ages of chess players and spectators, January 27, 2018, 2 to 4 p.m.

Dr. Alexey Root attended a lecture by University of Texas at Dallas Assistant Professor Dr. Chandramallika Basak on March 3, 2017. Her report on Dr. Basak's talk "Cognitive Benefits of Learning to Play Chess and Other Strategy Games" was published March 10, 2017 on ChessBase

Dr. Alexey Root will staff a booth at the Denton ISD Summer Activities Fair. Her booth will give information about the UT Dallas summer chess camp. The booth next to her will feature Coppell MOSAIC, which includes a chess course by Dr. Root and a sight-singing course by William Root along with dozens of other MOSAIC courses.

On February 12, 2017, I visited the TAMS (Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science) chess group which meets at 2:00 p.m. Sundays at Emily Fowler Library in Denton, TX. Ten TAMS students were present, with one of them studying, one waiting for a game, and the other eight playing each other. As I watched the games, a girl and her father showed up.

Dr. Alexey Root gave a simultaneous exhibition (a "simul") at the Flower Mound Public Library, Saturday, January 28, at 2 p.m. Ten players initially faced Dr. Root. After some players lost and their spots were refilled, a total of 17 players participated. Dr. Root won 14 games, drew two games, and lost one game.

On Saturday, January 21, 2017, I taught the Chess merit badge at the National Scouting Museum. Nine Scouts attended. (Ten had signed up but one was absent all day.) As outlined in my book Prepare With Chess Strategy, I covered the non-tournament requirements first in a workshop.